11 replies to this topic

[dna4ever]

So what's the best way to avoid you are not getting scammed on craigslist when selling your vehicle? Craigslist gives you their standard scam tips including avoiding money orders and cashiers checks as they can be faked enough to clear the bank, but still leave you holding the bag when they don't clear.Not sure how many people are gonna plop down $13K cash and obviously a check is out of the question.Not sure the best way to get payment?

[iZuma]

eh don't be a wuss. take a check. it'll be fine.

[FCP Bob]

Wire Transfer from their bank to yours.

[brvheart]

Meet the buyer at a bank and complete the transaction in the bank in full view of the cameras using the banks cash as in intermediary.

[InternetExplorer]

you can just have the bank verify the cashiers check. demand a cashiers check. do the transaction in the bank. make sure they look the verification number up on their system with the routing number, not from the face of the check. have them write the name of the person that verified on the back of the check. if you're still uneasy with all that, have a supervisor come double-check.

[Ron_Mexico]

Not all banks do it the same and what if the guy brings a check from some out of state bank, or what if some/most banks won't verify information about their checks?. And the buyer isn't necessarily going to be in the same city/state. Wire transfer, wait a day or two, then turn over title. Or just take it to a Carmax and sell the car directly to a lot.

[AmScray]

Cash on the sellers side, CARFAX on the buyers side.If for some reason the car is located in an area you're not comfortable with, meet someplace neutral and safe. .I pretty much can't envision myself buying a car ever again from any source other than Craigslist, have done so quite a few times and in doing so, haven't recognized any properties unique to Craigslist dealings that are 'more dangerous' than any other dealings. If you're dumb enough to take money orders or fall for the 'car shipping' thing, then life-in-general for you will be an impossible minefield and Craigslist isn't the problem.The only real 'problem' with Craigslist is that you're dealing with the public and unfortunately, the public is completely retarded. There are always frustrations dealing with retards, but again. That's just a 'public' problem, not necessarily a craigslist one.One tip, though. You need to have thick skin and be able to walk away from a deal if you don't like it.People do sell junk on there. Don't have any emotional involvement with the purchase, nor feel the need to 'be friends' with your counter party.You're there to deal, if you like it, then deal. If not, don't feel obliged to deal.I made that mistake once, went into a car purchase with huge emotional investment because it was a car I wanted pretty bad. Should've probably passed on this particular one but didn't. Would up taking a haircut for a couple grand, but it's basically the only deal I've ever come out loser in my entire life and it was definitely my own damn fault.

[hblask]

As you may remember, some guy may or may not have tried to scam me when I was selling a van through Craigslist back in October. I did a few of the things that people above recommended, such as meet in a bank and have the bank verify everything right there. If your bank won't do that, switch banks and find one that will, then sell your car.The one thing I didn't do that is probably the biggest lesson I learned: if it feels wrong, walk away. If you are selling a car and get no offers in a month, it starts to feel like it will never sell. That's when the creeps start to swoop in. I got about 5 really weird calls about 3-4 weeks after I listed it. One ended up buying it and tried all sorts of weird things, but I stood my ground on all of it, and nothing has come back to bite me.The other thing I'd recommend is to not deal with out-of-town buyers if possible. If you are in a small town this may not be possible, but at least set a relatively small region that you will deal with. If you need to sell fast this may not be practical, but in general, give yourself enough time to walk away from a few flakes. They will make themselves obvious quite quickly.Here's my story from then if you want to know what to watch out for and the bizarre behavior I ignored for too long.

[beans-n-icewater]

Ive bought several items from folks on that thing.... once I didnt bring enough cash and it was such a screaming deal I wrote the guy a check and left my wallet as collateral to hold it while I went back to the sock drawerAfter reading blasks story I wonder if that guy thought I was trying to pull something...Anyway, Ive mulled over the possibility of selling a few items in the past with the service. Im not afraid of being scammed as much as someone getting my phone number. Im afraid Id go all McVeigh on a building if a telemarketer got me in their system. Hopefully the one that housed themMy conclusion is to purchase one of those crack phones where you pay as you go. Use that for the sale and give it to the homeless when it sells. Everyones a winner that way... you make the sale, the streeter has something to entertain themselves in the Kenmore box, and the telemarketer wastes even more of his life aggravating folks with no intention of buying anything...Oh, and if they mention anything about becoming a charter seller.....RUN!!!!!

[vbnautilus]

AmScray, on 29 May 2012 - 04:53 PM, said:

I pretty much can't envision myself buying a car ever again from any source other than Craigslist, have done so quite a few times and in doing so, haven't recognized any properties unique to Craigslist dealings that are 'more dangerous' than any other dealings.

That's because you are the guy he's afraid of meeting on craigslist.

[Mercury69]

Ask for payment in something other than cash, like 13K in marijuana or pharamceutical LSD. Insist on meeting in an open place and bring your chemist friend to test the merch. Show him a video of you parking the car in front of a frozen yogurt store, then show him the frozen yogurt container you just finished, along with the newspaper you were holding in the video. Give him the keys and the title and walk away, assuming the quality of the drugs is up to standards.

Otherwise, ask for gold in oz form.

[ShakeZuma]

fucking right justified? what kind of world do we live in?!